Pachyderm
by Missie DuCaine
Summary: SpeedLash There are a lot of different freaks at circuses.


_Disney, in their infinite wealth, owns Sky High. Not me. le sigh_

**Pachyderm**

Lash looked up from the poster that had just been slapped down on the table in front of him. "The _Circus_?" he asked, slowly, warily.

"Yep," Speed nodded firmly. "The Circus. It will be a lot of fun, I swear. Brian's coming, you know, the guy who climbs walls? And I think Gwen and Penny might be going too. I figured we could make a big day out of it. All of us, going."

"All of us," Lash repeated, frowning at the poster. "You just want to go see the freak show, don't you?"

"I dunno," Speed shrugged, grinning. "I think the elephants are pretty darn cool, too. Wanted to ride one since I was little..." his eyes took on a faraway look. "I used to pile blankets on my bed, and stick this plastic elephant mask I had on the end, and pretend I was an emperor or something, hunting tigers from the back of my elephant. Psaw psaw!" He mimed shooting a rifle, then paused, red faced and sheepish. "I mean, yeah. The freak show."

Lash smirked. "_You're_ a freak, Speed."

The much larger boy shrugged. "Guess so. So are you coming?"

Lash shrugged. "Why not?"

Why not?

_Why not_?

Because good lord, Penny and Gwen were there!

Brian had disappeared the moment they actually arrived, not really being part of the 'group' anyways, and Penny kept forgetting that she had to keep her powers _hidden_, so sometimes there was Penny, sometimes there were Penny twins, sometimes Penny triplets, and once, in a moment of absolute horror, quintuplets.

Gwen kept insisting that everything was in disrepair and needed to be fixed, and several times either Speed of Lash caught her fixing something when she thought no one was looking. Both boys just rolled their eyes and tried to find a way to ditch the girls.

That chance came when they stumbled on the Freak Show tents.

"Let's go!" Speed cheered enthusiastically, and Penny and Gwen just wrinkled their noses in disgust.

"That is _so_ gross," Penny insisted, shaking her head.

"Totally," Gwen agreed, holding up her hands. "Have _fun_, guys."

"We will!" Lash shot back, sticking his tongue out at her back, and heading inside the tent with Speed. "Idiots," he grumbled.

"You said it," Speed nodded fervently, then grabbed Lash's hand excitedly, pointing at the first 'freak', the bearded lady. "Check that _out_, man!"

Lash smiled bemusedly, looking down at their clasped hands instead of at the bearded lady (who had likely just had testosterone injections, really). Speed didn't appear to be letting up his grip, but that might also be because he didn't even realize he had done it. He didn't seem to notice, after all.

Deciding he enjoyed the point of contact, Lash squeezed the other's hand slightly, gently, then before Speed could decide he wanted to tug his hand away or something, he dragged them by their joined hands to the next exhibit, then the next.

They were having _fun_, and both were laughing, chattering about anything and everything as they walked. At last, they emerged from the freak show tent, talking about the last show, the 900 pound woman, when Lash spotted them.

"Speed," he murmured, leaning close to his oldest friend, "Still want to ride an elephant?"

"What?" Speed blinked, then turned to look the way Lash indicated with a jerk of his chin. Upon spotting the pachyderms, Speed's blue eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, and Lash felt a bubble of warmth swell up in him. His friend looked so happy...

"What are _you_ freaks doing?" Penny interrupted their happy thoughts, and Lash groaned internally. "And why are you... are you _holding_ _hands_?!"

Speed went to yank his hand away, but Lash decided, impulsively, that he wasn't going to be having any of that. Tightening his hold, he simply let his arm stretch as Speed moved his arm, so that when the larger hero realized it, he abruptly stopped moving his arm, wanting to keep the crowds around them from realizing that Lash's arm was almost twice the length it was supposed to be.

"You two are _pathetic_," Penny sneered, rolling her eyes. "You two belong in that freak show."

"Yeah, well... yeah well..." Speed appeared at a loss for words, he just looked pissed. And frustrated.

"We're freaks, then!" Lash laughed, suddenly feeling much clearer headed and light hearted. They might as well have fun with this. "We're freaks, Speed. I'm a freak, and I love it! You're a freak, and I love you!"

Shit, he'd meant to say _I love it_ again, but the brilliant way that Speed's eyes lit up, like that Christmas tree again, the way his lips widened into a disbelieving -god-I-can't-believe-this-is-finally–happening- smile, Lash was quite glad for his Freudian slip.

"Love you too," Speed whispered.

Lash grinned, squeezing their clasped hands a little tighter. "So... elephants?"


End file.
